Category: FIFA

December 6 – Unlikely as it may seem, FIFA are reportedly considering the option of pushing back Qatar’s staging of the World Cup to 2026 because of the current impasse in the area – and splitting 2022 between the United States, Canada and Mexico who are bidding for the later tournament.

December 5 – After considerable reflection Sunil Gulati has ruled himself out of contesting the presidential election for the US Soccer Federation (USSF). Gulati is standing aside after the United States’ abject failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and having been head of the USSF for 12 years.

December 5 – Clubs which supply squad members for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia can look forward to massively increased payments of around $8,530 per player per day, in recognition of their “contribution to the successful staging” of the tournament.

December 4 – The conduct of Zimbabwean football boss Philip Chiyangwa (pictured), an ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has been called into question in his own country amid allegations of corruption.

December 1 – If they weren’t before, they are now. The gloves are officially off in the race for the hosting of the 2026 World Cup. USA, Mexico and Canada submitted their 2026 World Cup bid, as did Morocco, before the November 30 deadline.

December 1 – French police have questioned former FIFA vice-president Reynald Temarii (pictured) in their investigation into suspected corruption in connection with the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process.

November 29 – Football’s lawmakers look set to have be rushed into a decision over whether to allow video technology to be used at next year’s World Cup – one of the most important rule change considerations of recent years.

November 28 -Fresh revelations at the FifaGate scandal trial in New York have heaped more unwanted publicity on 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar with the former president of Colombia’s federation testifying that a sports marketing executive told him that up to $15 million in bribe money was potentially available for South American officials to back Qatar’s bid.

November 29 – Gambia’s authorities are on a collision course with FIFA after the country’s National Sports Council (NSC) refused to rescind its decision to suspend the executive committee of the national federation.

November 24 – The tiny west African state of Gambia is the latest country to fall foul of FIFA’s government interference rules and has been given an ultimatum of November 27 for the country’s National Sports Council (NSC) to reverse its decision to suspend the executive of the national FA.